CENTRAL JAVA

At last, through the heavy tropic darkness, our train came gasping into JOGJA. That was how the name of our destination was spelt on the outside of the carriage, and that was what it was always called, through the correct form was Jogjakarta, or Djokjakarta, or even, in the full Javanese version, Ngajogjakarta, while Raffles in the History of Java (1817) spelt it Yug'ya Kerta. The popular abbreviation, informal and universal, was a sign of the place it held in the affections of the people - Jogja, the stubborn city of the Sultans, the sanctuary of Java's ancient traditions, the cradle of Indonesia's freedom. (Harold Foster, Flowering Lotus)

YOGYAKARTA & SOLO

Today, the city of Yogja is no more the economical and political center of Indonesia, but is still the reference for arts, education and ...tourism. Gajah Mada University which is attracting artists and scholars of all archipelago, has maintain his status of the most prestigious university of Indonesia.

Yogya is a place to enjoy life far from the polluted and animated city of Jakarta. You can still take a lift in a becak (carrier tricycle photo on the right) and visit the Kraton, Taman Sari (Water palace) or Burung Pasar (Birds market).The becak is part of the Yogya life. It is commonly used to transport people, foods, goods or animals.

Jalan Malioboro, the main street of the Javanese capital, is busy from the morning till very late at night. This is the meeting place of students, tourists and street salers. You will walk there, jalan-jalan, without specific target, only to enjoy being together, to make some shopping or to eat in a warung (small mobile station to eat javanese foods).

In the evening, the street salers invade Jalan Malioboro, this is a good opportunities for tourists and students to spend few hours walking, drinking, eating and shopping as well.

The Central Javanese cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta (Solo) are centers of classical Javanese culture. The ancient arts have been encouraged by the royal families of these two sultanates under whose patronage the performing arts and others aspects of Javanese culture have flourished. There are numerous music and dance schools, brilliant choregrapher, drama and poetry workshops, folk theater and wayang troupes, artists excelling in the plastic arts.

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